Animal Welfare Board withdraws appeal to celebrate Feb 14 as 'Cow Hug Day'
New Delhi, Feb 10: The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) on Friday said it has withdrawn the appeal to celebrate February 14 as 'Cow Hug Day' following directions from the government amid widespread criticism on social media.
The withdrawal of the appeal comes just a day after Union minister Parshottam Rupala said it will be good if people respond positively to the call given by the board to celebrate February 14 as 'Cow Hug Day'.
February 14 is observed as Valentine's Day across the world.
"As directed by the Competent Authority and Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandary and Dairying the appeal issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India for celebration of Cow Hug Day on 14th February, 2023 stands withdrawn," the board's secretary S K Dutta said in a notice posted on its website.
It was for the first time that the AWBI had appealed to cow lovers in the country to celebrate 'Cow Hug Day'.
Earlier, the board had said the appeal has been made because the vedic traditions are almost on the "verge of extinction" due to the progress of western culture.
On Thursday, Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala had said it will be good if people respond positively to the call given by the AWBI to celebrate February 14 as 'Cow Hug Day'.
Rupala had said that not much should be read into the choice of February 14 as a date for this purpose.
"This country has an age-old tradition of worshipping the cow and it is a matter of great happiness that people embrace the cow It is good if people respond positively to our appeal," the minister had told reporters.
Since February 14 is a day of love, it is good if people remember and love the cow on that day. "And if someone taunts on this, then one should not feel angry but feel pity...," he had said.
The board, established in 1962 under Section 4 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, provides grants to animal welfare organisations and advises the Centre on animal welfare issues. It is a statutory advisory body on animal welfare laws and promotes animal welfare in the country.
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K’taka HC judge whose controversial remarks triggered controversy expresses regret before open court
Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court judge, Justice V Srishananda, on Saturday expressed regret in open court after facing backlash over his controversial remarks in his recent court hearings, reported Bar and Bench.
Two purported video clips from Justice V Srishananda’s court hearing that show him making inappropriate comments went viral across social media platforms.
On Saturday, Justice Srishananda invited members of the Advocates Association, Bengaluru, and senior lawyers to his courtroom at 2:30 PM, where he read out a note expressing regret for inappropriate comments.
Quoting Advocates Association President Vivek Subba Reddy, Bar and Bench wrote, “He expressed regret for the comments and clarified that it was not his intention to offend any community or members of the Bar. He also requested the association to relay this message to all members of the Bar.”
Reddy further stated, “We also advised him to encourage young lawyers in the courtroom and refrain from making any irrelevant remarks during hearings.”
Another senior lawyer present during the session confirmed to the legal news portal that Justice Srishananda also addressed comments directed at a woman lawyer, who was seen in one of the videos being reprimanded by the judge. The judge Justice Srishananda clarified that his remarks were not intended to target her (woman lawyer) specifically, but rather pertained to the appellant she was representing. “He explained that his comment was meant to imply that the appellant seemed to know a lot about the other party,” said the lawyer.
In addition, Justice Srishananda assured those present that he would avoid making such comments in the future.
The controversy came to light on September 19, when a video clip from an August 28 Court hearing surfaced on social media, showing Justice Srishananda referring to a Muslim-majority sub-locality in Bengaluru’s Goripalya as "Pakistan." Hours later, another video from the same courtroom emerged, in which the judge was seen making a gender-insensitive remark.
Following outrage over the viral videos, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, Surya Kant, and Hrishikesh Roy, on September 20 took a suo motu cognizance and sought a report from the Karnataka High Court Registrar General in connection with the viral video.
